The present invention relates to fluid control devices, for example, for use in fabricating semiconductors, and more particularly to fluid control devices which comprise a massflow controller for controlling a flow rate and on-off valves or the like in combination therewith.
The terms "upper" and "lower" as used herein refer respectively to the upper and lower sides of FIG. 1. These terms are used for convenience' sake; the device may be used as turned upside down or as laid on its side.
Fluid control devices for use in fabricating semiconductors comprise the combination of a massflow controller for controlling a flow rate, pressure regulator or like controller, and on-off valves or the like. We have already proposed a fluid control device of this type having a preferred construction which comprises a massflow controller and on-off valves or like members which are connected to the controller by a plurality of block couplings (see Japanese Patent Application No. 278495/1997, and corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/168,858).
FIG. 3 shows an example of such fluid control device. The terms "left" and "right" as used hereinafter refer respectively to the left-hand side and right-hand side of FIGS. 1 and 3.
With reference to FIG. 3, the fluid control device 31 comprises a rectangular parallelepipedal massflow controller 32 having a lower end portion formed with a leftwardly open inlet channel 32a and a rightwardly open outlet channel 32b, an inlet-side upper block coupling 33 having an inverted L-shaped channel 33a opened downward and in communication with the inlet channel 32a of the massflow controller 32, an inlet-side connecting member 34 adjacent to the coupling 33 at the left thereof and having an inverted L-shaped channel 34a opened downward, an inlet-side lower block coupling 35 having a V-shaped channel 35a for holding the channel 33a of the coupling 33 in communication with the channel 34a of the connecting member 34, an outlet-side upper block coupling 36 having an inverted L-shaped channel 36a opened downward and in communication with the outlet channel 32b of the massflow controller 32, an outlet-side connecting member 37 adjacent to the coupling 36 and having a flexed channel 37a opened downward, and an outlet-side lower block coupling 38 having a V-shaped channel 38a for holding the channel 36a of the coupling 36 in communication with the channel 37a of the connecting member 37.
The inlet-side connecting member 34 is a block coupling, and a first block valve 39 is disposed adjacent to the member 34 at the left thereof. The first block valve 39 comprises a rectangular parallelepipedal blocklike body 40 elongated leftward or rightward (i.e., longitudinally of the device 31) and having a main channel 40a in communication with the channel 34a of the connecting member 34, and a first actuator 41 and a second actuator 42 which are mounted on the top of the body 40. The body 40 has a left end portion joined to the right half of a lower block coupling 43 having a V-shaped channel 43a, and an intermediate portion joined to a lower block coupling 44 having an L-shaped channel 44a.
The outlet-side connecting member 37 is a rectangular parallelepipedal blocklike body of a second block valve 45. The valve 45 comprises the body 37 which is the outlet-side connecting member, and a third actuator 46 and a fourth actuator 47 which are mounted on the top of the body 37. The body 37 has a right end portion joined to an upper block coupling 48 having an inverted L-shaped channel 48a, and an intermediate portion joined to a block coupling 49 having an L-shaped channel 49a. The coupling 48 joined to the right end portion of the body 37 is joined to a lower block coupling 50 having an L-shaped channel 50a.
Although not shown, the lower block couplings 43, 44, 35, 38, 49, 50 are formed with through bores and screw bores at specified portions, and are fastened to a base plate P with bolts inserted through the respective through bores and screwed into screw bores in the base plate P. Different kinds of fluid controllers (first block valve 39, massflow controller 32 and second block valve 45) are each attached to two of these lower block couplings 43, 44, 35, 38, 49, 50 like a bridge. The inlet-side upper block coupling 33 and the outlet-side block coupling 36 fixed to the massflow controller 32 are fastened to the corresponding lower block couplings 35, 38, respectively, with screws 51 from above, whereby the controller 32 is removably mounted on the couplings 35, 38.
In the case where the fluid control device of the type described is attached to a wall in a clean room perpendicular thereto, the interior space of the room available diminishes correspondingly if the control device has a great height, presenting a problem from the viewpoint of economical use of space. Further it is disadvantageous to enlarge the clean room in corresponding relation with such fluid control devices not only in respect of the economical use of space but also from the viewpoint of savings in energy, so that it is strongly required to reduce the space needed for the installation of the devices. With the conventional fluid control device described, on the other hand, the overall height of the device is dependent on the upper end of the massflow controller which is positioned at the highest level. This entails the problem that it is difficult to reduce the installation space.